Pirelli M.24
|name = Pirelli M.24|countries-issued = 1924 late '30s|manufacturer = Pirelli|previous = M18|period = 1924-1929 late '30s-early '40s|thread = Proprietary thread ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ only for retrofitted masks, |issued = }} The Pirelli M.24 '''was a mask produced in Italy for the Belgian army. Mask overview The facepiece of this mask is made of leather, with two single-layer glass eyepieces. It uses a 7 points head-harness, with one of the straps connecting to the intake-outtake piece in the front, which have a metal pipe for threading a hose in. Inside the maks, there is a Tissot system to prevent fogging. The hose itself was made of leather and has two threads, one for connecting to the mask and the other to the filter. Retrofitted kits use rubber hoses. Mascc.PNG|Side view Mascc2.PNG|Intake-outtake piece Insaid.PNG|Mask's inside. Note the tissot system P1110316.jpg|The mask and its hose Filter The filter was a large metal box containing the various blocking substances. At the top there was a threaded angled tube assembly, and the bottom could be closed using a lid. The filter was always kept in the satchel and was connected to the mask via the hose through the angled tube assembly. Filter.PNG|The filter Kit '''Original kit The mask came with the following kit: * leather hose * bag * spare lenses * spare exhale valve * manual The bag was divided into two sections, one the filter and the other for the other part of the kit. Chit.PNG|Original kit p1110313.jpg|The kit, in the bag 55610.jpg|Front of the bag p1110312.jpg|Back of the bag p1110315.jpg|Spare lenses and spare exhale valve Retrofitted kit During the late '30s, some masks were retrofitted with M.1934 kits (bag, filter and hose) so that they could be used in an upcoming war. M1924.jpg|Retrofitted kit, sporting a rubber hose. History At the beginning of the 1920s, the M18 was outdated and the Belgian army was in need of a new mask. Because of the small funds, rubber was ditched and leather was chosen; the army also chose to go for a larger filter connected via a hose. The company that got to make the new mask was Pirelli. The leather used was high-quality and overall the construction was refined, but the mask had three major problems: firstly, the glass was easily breakable, rendering the mask useless in a combat situation; secondly, the exhale valve was not very efficient and soldiers used to break it to make air flow easier; thirdly, the sheer weight of the intake-outtake piece made the mask fall from some soldiers' faces. Because of those problems, the army decided to switch to a new mask in 1929, again made by Pirelli. The latest the M.1924 was used was in preparation for the Second World War, as due to the lack of funds some were retrofitted with M.1934 kits. M19243.jpg|Description of the mask in the field pamphlet 10407476_10202480587530669_7575607748775777637_n.jpg|Some soldiers trying on their M.24 gas masks 10888633 769250989822896 5544881057182860985 n.jpg|M.24 and one M1931 being used by soldiers References * http://users.skynet.be/flexaret/index.html?x=89&y=16 * http://www.gasmasklexikon.com/ Category:Full Face Masks Category:Military Gas Masks Category:Belgium Category:Interwar Era Mask